COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTIONCloaked in mystery, this dark black beer skirts the line between a schwarzbier and smoked porter. The use of a small percentage of traditional Beechwood smoked malt adds complexity and balances the liberal use of chocolate malt. Notes of roasted grains, beechwood smoke and coffee accompany a full bodied and sweet chocolatey malt character. Smoke & Dagger uses locally sourced ingredients. OG 14.5 Plato

Good shit. 500mL bottle poured into a plastic cup at a hotel room while I watch Mark Wahlberg in Contraband, which pairs well with the beer. Despite all this the beer looks good. It pours with a medium thick head that leaves behind a slug of lacing. The beer, well, its almost a perfect melding of schwarz and rauch, equal parts represented without either dominating. The shwarz has a great chocolate lagered aspect and a smoked element that is present but nicely subdued into the black lager. Super clean with no flaws and so damn quaffable, I drank this up like it was nothing in a few minutes. I only picked up a single but I see why these are sold in 4 packs that were priced for $10.50, which seems like a great price point for such quality.

Beautiful aroma, bready and chocolatey. Full head with good retention. Dark brown with a hint of autumn orange. Smooth and delicious. Was expecting it to be more bitter because it was a "black lager" but it’s sweet malty-ness wins out. The smoke character is background at best, just enough to be appealing. Too many smoked beers are overly acrid but not this one. Overall a great beer and one that I will definitely get again.

Got in a BIF from ZebraCakez. 12 ounce bottle into lager glass, bottled on 11/24/2014. Pours crystal clear deep reddish brown color with a 1 finger dense khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big chocolate, cocoa, coffee, wood smoke, toast, dark bread, herbal, and roast/smokey earthiness. Damn nice aromas with good balance and complexity of roast/bready malt and smoke notes; with great strength. Taste of chocolate, cocoa, coffee, wood smoke, toast, dark bread, herbal, and roast/smokey earthiness. Fair amount of roast/herbal bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of chocolate, cocoa, coffee, wood smoke, toast, dark bread, herbal, and roasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Damn nice balance and robustness of roast/bready malt and smoke flavors; with a great roasted bitterness/sweetness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Very clean on lager flavors with no yeast ester notes present. Medium carbonation and light-medium bodied; with a very smooth, fairly crisp, and lightly bready/chalky mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is an excellent smoked schwarzbier style. All around great balance and robustness of roast/bready malt and smoke flavors; and very smooth and crisp to drink. A very enjoyable offering.

Meuleman’s, Vermont: Pours black with a beige head. Aroma is chocolate, light smoky malts, and some nice medium roast coffee. Taste is much the same. This felt to me like a Schwarzbier with some smoky notes rather than a full-fledged smoked ale. Very smooth and very well balanced. I like it.

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